Health literacy, digital healthy diet literacy and influencing factors in breastfeeding mothers

The aim of this study is to determine the health literacy and digital healthy diet literacy levels of breastfeeding mothers and to examine the related factors. The study was conducted using a descriptive and cross-sectional design. The study included 95 breastfeeding mothers who were voluntarily participating in the study and had infants hospitalized in a children's hospital. Data were collected using the Mother-Infant Questionnaire Form, the Health Literacy-Short Form, and the Digital Healthy Diet Literacy Scale. Descriptive statistics, comparative analyses, and correlation tests were used to analyze the data. In the study, the average health literacy (HL) score of breastfeeding mothers was found to be 33.92±10.40, and the average digital healthy diet literacy (DHDL) score was found to be 31.10±14.39. A significant and positive relationship was found between the two types of literacy (r=0.487, p=0.001). A statistically significant relationship was found between income level, obtaining information from health personnel, changes in mothers' food consumption, the status of breastfeeding counseling among mothers experiencing certain breastfeeding problems, and overall HL scores. A significant relationship was found between skin-to-skin contact after birth and DHDL scores. The use of the internet as a source of information, mothers conducting research, and receiving support from healthcare professionals were found to have a significant relationship with both HL and DHDL scores. No statistically significant relationship was found between age, education level, time of first breastfeeding, first food given to the baby, introduction of complementary foods, and pacifier/bottle use and HL and DHDL scores. As a result, it was observed that as the HL level increased in breastfeeding mothers, the DHDL level also increased. It was observed that the use of the internet as a source of information affected both literacy levels. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers should be supported in their ability to access accurate information in digital environments. Additionally, it was concluded that interventions aimed at improving literacy levels among low-income mothers should be planned.